ACC Power Rankings: Tigers still No. 1
By: will-vandervort October 8, 2015

Thanks to Clemson’s win over then No. 6 Notre Dame last week, the ACC has now won six games over Associated Press top 10 teams in the last two years, more than any other conference in the country.

The ACC has played or is scheduled to play 14 games against non-conference teams that are ranked in this week’s AP top 25. That by far is the most of any Power Five conference. The next closest league only plays six.

Three of the top four defenses in the nation are in the ACC this week, led by Boston College which leads the nation at 140 yards allowed per game. NC State is third (225.8) and Pitt is fourth (243.8).

Clemson moved up to No. 6 in both polls following its win over Notre Dame, while Florida State is No. 8 in the Amway Coaches Poll and No. 12 the AP poll.

  1. Clemson (4-0, 1-0 ACC), Last week No. 1: The Tigers continue to impress. The win over Notre Dame was not only big for Clemson, but it was big for the conference as well as it kept Clemson and the ACC in the College Football Playoff conversation. The Tigers have won 12 straight games in Death Valley, the second longest streak in school history. They can tie for the longest win streak with a victory over Georgia Tech on Saturday. Who is next: vs. Georgia Tech, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
  2. Florida State (4-0, 2-0 ACC), Last week No. 2: The Seminoles have not been impressive in any game this season, but they ran their win streak in the ACC to 26 games and have won 34 of their last 35 overall. Who is next: vs. Miami, 8 p.m., Saturday
  3. Duke (4-1, 2-0 ACC), Last week No. 4: Like all of their other games, the Blue Devils win over Boston College was not pretty, but it was still a win. The offense is struggling but the defense looks good. Who is next: at Army, Noon, Saturday
  4. North Carolina (4-1, 1-0 ACC), Last week No. 8: If it wasn’t for a late-game collapse against South Carolina, the Tar Heels would be undefeated, but four straight wins isn’t too bad either. After falling behind 20-0 to Georgia Tech last week, they rallied for a 38-31 victory in Atlanta. It was the largest come-from-behind victory in the program’s history. Who is next: vs. Wake Forest, Oct. 17
  5. Pitt (3-1, 1-0 ACC), Last week No. 10: The Panthers might be better than what people think. After a hard fought win at Virginia Tech, they are primed as a contender in the Coastal Division. Their lone loss this year has been to undefeated Iowa. Who is next: vs. Virginia, 12:30 p.m., Saturday
  6. Louisville (2-3, 1-1 ACC), Last week No. 12: What was impressive about Louisville’s win last week at NC State was the way it shut down the Wolfpack offense. Louisville held the ‘Pack to under 300 yards of offense and to less than 50 yards rushing. The Cardinals rushed for more than 200 yards in the victory. Who is next: at Florida State, Oct. 17
  7. Syracuse (3-1, 1-0 ACC), Last week No. 9: The Orange had last week off. Let’s see if the extra week to prepare will help them for their first road game of the season. The played No. 7 LSU tight the last time out, let’s see if they can prove they are worthy of being a bowl team this year. Who is next: at South Florida, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
  8. NC State (4-1, 0-1 ACC), Last week No. 3: If we learned anything about last week’s loss to Louisville is that NC State was not ready for the physicality the Cardinals brought to Raleigh. It proved that opening the season against four non-Power 5 schools was not a smart move. It doesn’t get any easier on Friday night either. Who is next: at Virginia Tech, 8 p.m., Friday
  9. Miami (3-1, 0-0 ACC), Last week No. 5: Miami’s defense showed no life against Cincinnati last Thursday night and the offense took the entire second half off. The ‘Canes need to start showing up soon or head coach Al Golden could be out of a job come December. Who is next: at No. 8 Florida State, 8 p.m., Saturday
  10. Boston College (3-2, 0-2 ACC), Last week No. 6: Without its starting quarterback, Boston College’s offense is really struggling. The Eagles have managed just 24 points in the last three games combined and has scored just seven points in its two ACC games to FSU and Duke. The Eagles rank 12th in scoring offense and 13th in total offense in the 14-team conference. Who is next: vs. Wake Forest, 3 p.m., Saturday
  11. Georgia Tech (2-3, 0-2 ACC), Last week No. 7: Paul Johnson says his team has dug itself into a hole and it’s going to be hard to dig their way out, especially considering they have to come to Clemson this Saturday. The Yellow Jackets’ defense has allowed 30 or more points in each of the last three games, all losses. They rank 12th in the ACC in scoring defense. Who is next: at No. 6 Clemson, 3:30 p.m., Saturday
  12. Virginia Tech (2-3, 0-1 ACC), Last week No. 11: The Hokies might get quarterback Michael Brewer back in Friday’s game vs. NC State. That could be a big lift to an offense that has been very predictable since he broke his collarbone in the season-opening loss to Ohio State. The bad news is Virginia Tech’s defense has been a letdown to this point as they rank 11th in total defense and 13th in scoring defense inside the ACC. Who is next: vs. NC State, 8 p.m., Friday
  13. Wake Forest (2-3, 0-2 ACC), Last week No. 13: The Demon Deacons hung tough against No. 8 Florida State and were driving to tie the game late before an interception in the end zone sealed the Seminoles 24-16 victory. Wake Forest has been much improved, let’s see if it can show that against Boston College on Saturday. Who is next: at Boston College, 3 p.m., Saturday
  14. Virginia (1-3, 0-0 ACC), Last week No. 14: The question now is can head coach Mike London survive the season. If the Cavaliers don’t at least compete at Pitt this Saturday, he could be gone by Monday. Virginia is without a doubt the worse team in the ACC right now, and it isn’t even close. Who is next: at Pitt, 12:30 p.m., Saturday